An easy supper we come back to time and time again is these baked eggs with spinach, cream and parmesan. We tend to have all the ingredients at home most of the time, and as far as satisfying supper go, this is a great one.
It doesn’t take long to prepare, is easier than a shakshuka and super yummy! Perfect weeknight fodder, but it feels a little elevated with the cream and parmesan. Also great for brunch or lunch! Similar to oeufs en cocotte, but a little easier to throw together (no hot water!) and in a bigger dish so a bit more substantial.
Baked eggs with spinach, cream and parmesan, serves 2
2 large handfuls baby spinach, washed
1 tbsp butter
2-4 eggs
100 ml cream
grated parmesan
sea salt and black pepper
Add a little butter to a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add the washed spinach and push it around until it has been wilted. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan squeeze the spinach to remove the excess water.
Butter two round gratin dishes with the remaining butter. Divide the spinach between the two dishes. Crack one or two eggs in each. Spoon cream into the dishes, some on top of the eggs. Grate a generous amount of parmesan into the dishes. Finish with a little salt and pepper.
Place in a 180C oven until the whites are almost set (cook for longer if you want them cooked through), approx 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.
I posted this speedy lunch on my instagram stories a few days ago, and have already had several requests for the recipe, so here it comes!
However, I can’t take credit for creating it. It was my blogg friend Kim who shared it on her instagram and it looked so good I saved it and tried it last week. It’s infinitely adaptable and such a yummy and quick lunch! (I had fried peppers, cheese and rocket in mine but Kim had kale, ham and cheese, so just pick some toppings you like but I suggest cheese is one of them). It’s so so yummy and a perfect speedy lunch!
Omelette Tortilla Wrap, makes 1
1 large egg
1 tbsp cream or water
salt and pepper
knob of butter
1 medium or large flour tortilla
Filling:
fried peppers
a small handful rocket
grated cheddar
Beat the egg and cream in a small bowl. Add a little salt and pepper. Heat up a medium sized frying pan on medium heat and add the butter to the pan. Once it’s hot, add the egg mixture and cook for a minute or so moving it about gently with a spatula. Remove from heat and add your toppings. Place the tortilla bread on top and fry for another 30 seconds to a minute. Place a dinner plate on top of the frying pan and turn it upside down. Slide the omelette with the bread side down into the frying pan and fry it for a minute or two until gently golden brown. Remove and place on a chopping board. Roll it into a roll and cut in half. Serve with salad.
In one of my twice-monthly oddboxes I came across a new to me vegetable. Kalettes. A cross between brussel sprouts and kale. They looked like leafy broccoli florets and tasted delightful. And my silly tummy could handle them (at least in small quantities). Yay!
We had them blanched instead of broccoli with roast chicken and although nice they weren’t amazing. But another night I fried them in oil with some onions and served it with a crispy fried egg, avocado and a cold sauce and they were SO good. So if you see them in a shop, I highly recommend buying a bag of kalettes and try this dish. I cannot wait to make it again! I think it would work really well with tender stem or purple sprouting broccoli or a mix of broccoli, brussels and kale, if you can’t find kalettes.
Fried greens with crispy fried egg and avocado, serves 2
1 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
200 g kalettes, trimmed and cut in half
2 tbsp mild olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon juice
2 eggs
2 tbsp mild olive oil
Toppings:
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, sliced
cress
Sauce:
100 ml creme fraiche
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon with basil
salt and pepper
a little squeeze of lemon
Mix the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. Heat up the oil in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Add the onions and fry until they just start to brown. Add the kalettes and fry until they also start to brown. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. In another frying pan (large enough for two eggs), heat up the olive oil on medium-high heat and crack in the two eggs. Fry until the white is set (cover with a lid for half a minute or so for the top of the white to set), the yolk is runny and the bottom is browned. Remove the eggs to a cold plate. Reheat the kalettes and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add a little lemon juice and divide between plates or large bowls. Add the eggs, tomatoes, avocado and cress. Serve with the sauce.
I made these delicious fajita bowls (so much easier to eat than actual fajitas, and less bread) in the last lockdown before Christmas. I tried to make easy but delicious weeknight suppers so that I could continue to cook more elevated weekend dishes. Weirdly I found it really satisfying cooking weeknight suppers. I’m trying to keep it simple without it being boring and this fajita bowl fits that brief perfectly.
Feel free to play with the toppings. You could add salsa, pico de gallo, refried beans, pickled jalapeños, corn, you name it. I used what I had to hand! But I highly recommend the chipotle soured cream – it’s so good!
Fajita bowlswith chipotle soured cream, serves 2
1 flour tortilla, cut into six triangles
2 tbsp salted butter
2 portions of rice, cooked according to the instructions on the packet
1 medium onion or large shallot, sliced thinly
1 pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
5 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed of fat and gnarly bits and cut into strips
olive oil for frying
3 tsp smoked paprika
3 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion granules
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
Toppings:
approx 4 tbsp grated cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1/2-1 avocado, cubed
a small bunchchopped coriander
200 ml soured cream
1-1 1/2 tsp chipotle paste
Start by adding the butter to a frying pan and place it on medium-low heat. Fry the tortilla bread until golden on both sides. Place on kitchen towel to drain and set aside.
Add a generous pouring of olive oil into the pan and turn the temperature up to medium. Fry the onion/shallots and peppers until soft and just starting to brown, while stirring occasionally, approx 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. Transfer to a bowl. Pour more oil into the pan and add half the chicken. Let it brown and cook for a few minutes, then add salt and pepper and half the spices. Transfer to the onion and pepper bowl and fry the remaining chicken in the same way.
Add all the chicken, peppers and onions to the pan and cook for a few more minutes to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Taste, adjust the seasoning and add the lemon or lime juice. Set aside.
Mix soured cream with chipotle paste in a bowl and add salt to taste.
Start building your bowl with warm rice in the bottom. Add the chicken, tomato, avocado, grated cheese, chipotle soured cream and coriander. Lastly add three fried tortilla triangles to each bowl.
I have lost count how many times I’ve eaten these naan wraps by now, so it is about time I write about them too!
They are really simple to make, and because of that I think they’re perfect for a Friday night supper. That’s when I usually want something really moreish, not too fancy (only on occasion) but something really satisfying and even a little messy. And this dish ticks all those boxes.
The inspiration comes from The Kitchn but rather than using lamb, I used chicken thighs even the first time I made it. It’s just what I prefer, but I’m sure it’s lovely with lamb mince too. This was also the first time I made raita, which was a revelation. I had no idea it was THAT easy. Easier than tzatziki, even. And so very yummy!
Preheat the oven to 150C. Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Add the shallots, a little salt and a sprinkling of cumin. Fry until lightly browned and remove from pan. Add a bit more oil to the pan and add the chicken. Add more salt, some black pepper and the cumin. Stir occasionally and cook until the meat is cooked through, approximately 8 minutes.
Meanwhile make the raita and heat the naan breads. Stack the naans and wrap in tin foil and place on a rack in the oven for a few minutes.
Mix yoghurt with the spices, cucumber and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the shallots back into the pan and stir to combine. Layer lettuce, raita and chicken on the warm naans. Serve warm.
I cooked with courgette a lot during lockdown, as it’s such an inexpensive versatile vegetable. And it turns out, it really works in bulking out your quesadillas.
I made the first version, with fried courgette and coriander, served with soured cream and guacamole, when I was alone in London and liked them so much I made a similar version for lunch a few weeks later.
But this time I also added some ham, spring onions and fresh coriander, simply because I had it to hand, and served the quesadillas with a yummy sauce with creme fraiche and basil I made up on the spot, and lime wedges on the side.
Both versions are equally delicious so why not try both and see which you like better?!
Also, a note on frying quesadillas. For an every day lunch I prefer to fry them in a dry pan, as I think the addition of butter is then too much. But if you make quesadillas as nibbles for a party, when you eat much less of them, they’re wonderful fried in butter (and drained on kitchen towel to stay crispy!).
Courgette and coriander quesadillas with guacamole, serves 1
2 tortilla breads, either corn or flour
1 small courgette, cut in half lengthways and sliced
Fry the courgette until soft and golden in the oil on medium heat for approximately 5-10 minutes. Add the coriander and chilli flakes towards the end of cooking. Season well and set aside.
Place one tortilla bread on a flat surface and scatter half of the grated cheese on top. Add the fried courgettes and top with remaining cheese. Place the other tortilla bread on top and press down to flatten with your hands.
Heat up a clean frying pan on medium heat and add the quesadilla. Fry until side until golden brown while pressing down with a spatula. It only takes a few minutes! Flip the quesadilla over and fry the other side golden brown. Make sure the cheese inside has melted otherwise lower the heat and fry for a bit longer, making sure it doesn’t burn. Remove to a chopping board and cut into six triangles. Serve immediately with guacamole, soured cream and a little hot sauce.
Courgette, coriander and ham quesadillas, serves 3
6 tortilla breads, either corn or flour
1 1/2 medium courgettes, cut in half lengthways and sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
1/2 bunch fresh coriander
3 spring onions, chopped
2 slices cooked ham, chopped
200 g grated cheddar
To serve:
3 lime wedges
creamy basil sauce (recipe below)
Fry the courgette until soft and golden in the oil on medium heat for approximately 5-10 minutes. Season well and set aside.
Place three tortilla breads on a flat surface and divide half of the grated cheese between them. Add the fried courgettes, coriander, spring onions and ham and top with the remaining cheese. Place the other tortilla breads on top and press down to flatten with your hands.
Heat up a clean frying pan on medium heat and add a quesadilla. Fry until side until golden brown while pressing down with a spatula. It only takes a few minutes! Flip the quesadilla over and fry the other side golden brown. Make sure the cheese inside has melted otherwise lower the heat and fry for a bit longer, making sure it doesn’t burn. Repeat with the other two quesadillas. Remove to a chopping board and cut into six triangles. Serve immediately with lime wedges and the basil sauce(recipe below).
Creamy basil and lime sauce, serve 4
200 ml soured cream
finely grated zest from 1/2 lime
2 tbsp roughly chopped basil
salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients together with a bowl. Season to taste.
Since I already love Nigella’s noodle recipe and the Smitten Kitchen one seemed more cumbersome to make (the whole point here is ease) I thought I could just add the sliced cucumber to the noodles I usually make and see how that works out. And wow! It’s amazing how the addition of a thinly sliced watery vegetable without that much flavour to it, can take this dish to a whole other level!
When I make the peanut butter noodles I usually omit the vegetables in Nigella’s recipe and I’ve never cared for the sesame seeds, so I just top the noodles with coriander, lime and chopped salted peanuts. So without really trying to, I have changed the recipe enough to warrant an update of it here.
The addition of thinly sliced cucumber (best made using a cheese slicer – not a knife) is now my go-to version to eat it as it adds a freshness to it that’s just amazing together with coriander and lime. But sometimes I also add crispy chillies in oil to the mix as it’s good on practically everything!
Nigella’s peanut butter noodles my way – with sliced cucumber, serves 4
a handful toasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
a bunch coriander, chopped
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges
In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Add the noodles and mix well. Divide between bowls and top with chopped peanuts and coriander. Place the sliced cucumber on the side of the bowl and serve with a lime wedge.
If you read my weeklies you know I partly live on poke bowl. Both take away ones but most often my homemade almost-poke-bowl. Until now I’ve linked to this post, because the idea is roughly the same but the presentation is different, so I thought it was about time my probably most-cooked dish gets its own post.
In my opinion (and probably most peoples’) a proper poke bowl, consists of sushi rice and raw fish with various toppings. But as sushi rice takes a long time to make and raw fish isn’t readily available I’ve reworked the dish so it’s easy to do on a weeknight. (Puritans, look away now.)
Enter basmati rice (jasmin rice would work too, but avoid long grain) that you can literally just add to a pan of water and boil. Much simpler than sushi rice. And frozen raw prawns. I heat them, from the freezer, in some oil in a frying pan and they turn pink (i.e.) cooked in seconds. Add to that what vegetables I have at hand, but I would pick up avocado, coriander and cucumber on the way home as for the those are the most important ones. I always have a jar of mayo and one of gochujang in the fridge. Mix the two together and add some salt and you’re ready to go.
Weeknight almost poke bowl, serves 1
1 portion basmati rice, cooked according to the instructions on the box
80 g frozen raw prawns
1 tbsp oil for frying
1 tsp lime zest
salt and pepper
1/2 avokado, diced or sliced
5 cm cucumber, diced
chopped coriander
other vegetables such as radishes, spring onions and tomatoes, chopped
50 ml Hellman’s mayonnaise
1/2 tsp Gochujang (Korean chilli sauce)
a pinch of salt
1 lime wedge
Mix mayonnaise and Gochujang, season with salt and put aside. Heat up a small frying pan on medium-high heat and fry the prawns (straight from the freezer) in the oil until they turn pink (doesn’t take long). Remove from the heat and add the lime zest. Add salt and pepper.
Drain the rice and add it to a bowl. Add the vegetables, prawns and gochujang mayo. Lastly add the coriander, squeeze over some lime juice and sprinkle with salt.
When I think of this dish an image comes to mind, of Nigella in her silk dressing gown, opening that famous fridge door to get herself a late night snack. The leftovers from this dish would be perfect for midnight snacking and all you need is a bowl and a fork. But it’s really nice for supper a regular week night when you want something fast, easy and filling on the table in 15 minutes flat. It does that and more.
The comforting flavours of earthy mushrooms and salty bacon together with the silky orzo pasta comforts you from within. And it’s that comforting feeling that is sometimes most important for me when I cook for myself on a day that just feels a bit meh. May it be from the incessant London rain, the fact that the weekend feels far away or a rubbish day at work – regardless of the reason you will feel better after a bowl of this. Promise!
Orzo with bacon, mushrooms and parmesan, serves 3-4
200 ml orzo pasta (the one that looks like rice)
1/2 stock cube, vegetable
200 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
ca 120 g bacon, cut into small pieces
150 ml creme fraiche
plenty of grated parmesan
salt and black pepper
Cook the orzo pasta in plenty of water. Add salt and half a stock cube to the water for extra flavour. Cook until al dente (approx 10 minutes or according to the time on the packet). Drain and pour the pasta back into the pan. Stir in some oil or a knob of butter so it won’t become one sticky lump.
While the pasta is cooking, fry the mushrooms in butter and oil mon medium heat and make sure not to crowd them. If you have a small frying pan fry the in batches instead. Add the garlic towards the end of their cooking time. Add salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Then fry the bacon pieces on medium heat until crispy and brown. Drain on kitchen towel.
Mix the creme fraîche into the pasta, then add the mushrooms and bacon. Mix well and add in some grated parmesan. Season to taste. Serve in bowl and top with even more parmesan.
This favourite salad of mine doesn’t really require a recipe, but I wrote it down anyway, mainly as a reminder to myself. It’s the combination of some green leaves, fresh juicy tomatoes, salty ham and creamy burrata that makes it work, but you can add anything you like to this. I think it would be nice to add some olives and/or sunblush tomatoes, maybe some artichoke hearts, but it’s nice as it is. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Burrata salad with prosciutto, serves 2
1 small good quality burrata
4-6 slices prosciutto
150 g rocket
approx 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
nice olive oil
balsamic vinegar
crema di balsamico
Divide the rocket and cherry tomatoes on two plates. Place a few slices of ham in the middle of each plate. Cut the burrata in two and place half on each plate on top of the ham. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar all over, paying extra attention to the burrata. To finish, season and drizzle with crema di balsamico. Serve with some nice bread.
Scandelights 